Auto Makers Shift towards Fuel Efficient Vehicles

According to AutoLiquidator.com, the changing perspectives and priorities of car buyers will bring about much different looking lineups for auto makers in the near future.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., July 12, 2012 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- To be successful in any market, you have to be able to quickly and efficiently adapt to every new obstacle that comes your way. No one knows this more intimately than the auto industry, and they say whatever doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.

It should come as no surprise to anyone that gas prices are considerably higher than ever before. This has caused a lot of mayhem in the world of the auto industry, and AutoLiquidator.com has followed the shifting path the auto industry has been taking very closely.

Gas mileage is a pivotal selling point to car buyers these days. Not only have concerns over fuel costs spawned entirely new segments like hybrids and electric vehicles, it is also altering existing segments and breathing new life into others. With a federal mandate of 54.5 mpg by 2025 quickly approaching, the auto industry will never be the same.

It's clear that one of the biggest keys to getting on top in this global economy will be making more fuel efficient and lower priced vehicles. Each manufacturer is tackling this obstacle differently. Although only time will tell whose approach is the most effective, some are already seeing promising results.

Ford, for example, plans that 10 - 25% of their vehicles sold by 2020 will be alternative fuel vehicles; whether they will be diesel, hybrid, electric or other. To facilitate this transition, Ford is making it easy on car buyers by making engine types just another option to check when you are buying your car, rather than making an entirely different model for each engine type. The Ford Focus is the best example of this.

While hybrid vehicles have seen considerable success in America, it is still not quite what people projected them to be. Electric vehicles especially have not taken off as quickly as most manufacturers have hoped. There is just something too strange to American drivers about plugging in their car instead of filling them up.

Another big hurdle is simply the cost effectiveness. Saving money on gas, or not using gas at all, sounds phenomenal at first. However, comparing the amount saved on gas versus the higher price tag shows that most vehicles will take you years to make up the difference. It really does not seem like a practical decision for the majority of budget minded car buyers.

Although they are bolstered by government rebates and incentives, electric vehicles will not be the only major players in the alternative fuel world. Many American manufacturers are starting to produce diesel versions of their popular vehicles, like GM with their Chevy Cruze Diesel coming in 2013.

The Cruze Diesel is already their best selling vehicle in Europe, where diesel vehicles reign supreme for gas mileage. Since about half of existing American gas stations have diesel pumps and they are very comparable in cost to produce, there is no real reason to think that efficient diesel vehicles will not become much more popular stateside.

Regardless of how we get there, the auto industry is doing everything it can to be more efficient, both with fuel and vehicle prices. Necessity is the mother of all inventions, and you can't help but get excited to see what the future has in store.